Summer ’99 was the third summer in a row in which Phish expounded on groove-based playing. With Mike in the middle, throughout this summer they began to sculpt their millennial sound that would carry them through the year. The band moved into a more layered, drone and hypnotic style of play, as Trey favored harder-edged guitar with sheets of sound and dissonant, effect-laden soundscapes that veered from the center-stage soloing of summers past. Phish cranked out a ton of highlights during their month-long jaunt, and many of them are household jams at this point. But for today’s playlist, I assembled some of the less talked about jams from another Summer ’99. Worcester awaits…
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“Bathtub Gin” 6.30.99 I, Bonner Springs, KS
The very first song of summer blossomed into a 20-minute, ambient-laced affair.
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“Down With Disease > Caspian” 7.1.99 II, Nashville, TN
This jam took place while an impending storm zeroed in on Nashville. Once the band splashed into the following “YEM” jam, the skies opened and the place got hit with a deluge.
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“Split Open and Melt” 7.26.99 II, Noblesville, IN
The last jam of the US tour from the final set of Deer Creek.
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“Fee” 7.8.99 I, Va. Beach, VA
A second-song monster from Virginia Beach.
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“Antelope” 7.3.99 II, Atlanta, GA
A scorching, mid-set rendition from Lakewood.
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“2001 > Misty Mountain Hop” 7.20.99 II, Toronto, ON
This set-closing combo punctuated of Phish’s quick stop north of the border.
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“Ghost” 7.20.99 I, Toronto, ON
Possibly the only Summer ’99 “Ghost” that isn’t well known at this point. Mike anchors the band with outlandish rhythmic calisthenics from the get-go in this first-setter.
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“Tweezer -> Catapult -> Tweezer” 7.24.99 II, E.Troy, WI
While not exactly dark-horse, Alpine’s thick and looped-out “Tweezer” has always lived in the shadows of Camden’s masterpiece and Oswego’s standout version. And what’s a playlist without a “Tweezer?”
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“Birds of a Feather” 7.23.99 II, Columbus, OH
An exploratory beast that came amidst a heavy-hitting second set at Polaris.
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“David Bowie” 7.4.99 I, Atlanta, GA
This “Bowie” closed the first set of July 4th on its highest point before Phish came out and threw down a monster second.
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“YEM” 7.7.99 II, Charlotte, NC
This groove-centric “YEM” capped one of my favorite start-to-finish sets of summer.
